


A Hockey RPF Primer: Jamie Benn/Tyler Seguin

by Anonymous



Category: Hockey RPF
Genre: Dallas Stars, M/M, Meta, Primer, for archiving purposes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-14
Updated: 2014-02-14
Packaged: 2018-01-12 08:00:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,031
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1183846
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Chemistry is going to be a big part of our game on and off the ice." - Jamie Benn</p><p>What it says on the tin. A repost of the tumblr primer from 30/09/13 about Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin just before the 13/14 season started. [image/gif heavy]</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Hockey RPF Primer: Jamie Benn/Tyler Seguin

**Author's Note:**

> This was **originally posted on tumblr on the 30th of September 2013** , right before the season started. Meaning: This is how the situation was then. There are, by now, so so many more awesome highlights, quotes, videos, and information about these two. There are a few links in the primer to websites, etc. where you can also find the new stuff.

Okay, let's do this!

  
As evidence shows, these two don't play baseball professionally. (gif made by fourthline)

This primer will cover what happened over the summer and why shipping Jamie Benn/Tyler Seguin is brilliant and needs to become a thing.

  
The primer will be less about Tyler and Jamie themselves because people who know more about this than me have written about it already, so, here, have some links:  
  
 **This is Jamie Benn** :  
  
(gif made by bright-eyedchild)  
  
Here is [the Dallas Stars primer](http://creyr-fic.dreamwidth.org/3334.html#cutid1) by creyr, written before this season, obviously. Scroll down some for Jamie Benn, but I recommend at least skimming over the rest, it really gives some perspective if you didn't know much about the team and its history.  
NHL feature on Jamie:  
  
Here on Defending Big D the profile [Impact Player: Jamie Benn](http://www.defendingbigd.com/2013/10/1/4786962/dallas-stars-impact-player-2-jamie-benn)  
And the video from there:  
  
This is Jamie's [twitter](http://twitter.com/jamiebenn14) and his [instagram](http://web.stagram.com/n/jamiebenn14/). I also super recommend watching all of Jamie's vines and the ones he is in. Most of them are actually funny.  
This is [the Jamie Benn tumblr tag](http://tumblr.com/tagged/jamie+benn).  
  
 **This is Tyler Seguin** :  
  
(gif made by jdornation)  
  
Here is the [Tyler Seguin/Tyler Brown primer](http://rsadelle.livejournal.com/411354.html) by rsadelle.  
Here is the [list of problematic behaviour by hockey players](http://mardia.livejournal.com/304463.html), Tyler is on there for homophobic behaviour.  
Just good to know: Here is stuff on the Taylor Hall vs Tyler Seguin 2010 draft in the pilot for Oil Change, the really, really good documentary on the Oilers: [Start with Ep 1, Part 1](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRivMCVxKl0).  
Here is the feature on Tyler's summerhouse by BBTV. [As you may notice, Tyler constantly is surrounded by other semi-naked young men.](http://video.nhl.com/videocenter/console?id=185899)  
This is [Tyler's instagram](http://web.stagram.com/n/tseguin92).  
This is [the Tyler Seguin tumblr tag](http://tumblr.com/tagged/tyler+seguin).  
  
 **And a warning** : Tyler Seguin has broken the fourth wall before. Try to keep this and all shipping stuff in the fannish circles for the sake of your fellow fans. :)  
  
Together, Jamie (14) and Tyler (91) play hockey for the Dallas Stars.  
  
  
To keep up with the Dallas Stars, here is their [twitter](http://twitter.com/dallasstars), [NHL-website](http://stars.nhl.com), and the SB Nation community for them, which is pretty good and the people seem nice: [Defending Big D](http://defendingbigd.com). Also, Mike Heika ([on twitter](http://twitter.com/mikeheika)) writes pretty good stuff about the Stars in the [Dallas Morning News](http://t.co/cGWqL9jBiN).  
And this is the [hockeypedia Dallas Stars primer/collection](http://hockeypedia.livejournal.com/6128.html).  
  
 **So, what happened with Jamie and Tyler during the summer and why should it matter to you?**  
  
Of course, during this offseason, one if not the most noticeable trade was the one that sent Tyler Seguin from the Boston Bruins to the Dallas Stars in a 7-player-deal. The official reasoning is his off-ice (too much partying) and as well his on-ice behaviour (not playing the Big Bad Bruins style and not performing well enough for what he is paid), the unofficial reason simply is the salary cap. The Bruins included a more or less staged version of the discussion of the trade in their first episode of Behind The B.  
  
Watch the first Behind The B episode here:  
  
Discussion on Tyler from 5:23 to 6:37, and 9:23 to 12:36.  
  
(For fun, you can compare that to the pilot of Oil Change and then guess which team holds the "Big Bad" image to their name.)  
  
Anyway. So the Bruins wanted to get rid of Tyler, and the Stars, rebuilding their roster and coaching staff after missing the playoffs the last five seasons, jumped onto the opportunity to get themselves a former 2nd overall pick, who can be their first line center.  
  
Now, Tyler's twitter account had displayed actual homophobia before, but around the time he got traded, tweets appeared which are mildly homophobic, but also allude to Tyler himself being gay.  
  
  
  
Tyler said he was hacked, people speculated one of his friends had grabbed his phone. Media drama complete!  
  
Here is one of the many many play-by-play summaries of what happened before and after that: [Revisiting The Tyler Seguin Trade: Did Boston Make The Right Choice?](http://thehockeyguys.net/revisiting-the-tyler-seguin-trade-did-boston-make-the-right-choice/) and  
  
  
[this is a good article about hockey, the media, and the market in relation to this incident.](http://www.defendingbigd.com/2013/7/10/4510590/tyler-seguin-twitter-dallas-stars-media-drama-partying)  
  
First thing the Stars did was to shut down Tyler's twitter account, but the questions about Tyler's maturity remained.  
  
Here he has to face the Dallas media for the first time. First question is by Heika who wanted to get it out of the way:  
["Can you take us through the whole twitter situation, get this out of the way now?"](http://video.nhl.com/videocenter/console?id=262435)  
Notice how Tyler keeps mentioning that he was the only single guy on the Bruins...  
  
Now, a bit later, the Olympic orientation camp roster was announced. And Jamie Benn, power forward, 2012 All Star, awesome hockey player, [was snubbed](http://www.defendingbigd.com/2013/8/28/4667240/team-usa-jerseys-team-canada-giroux-jamie-benn).  
  
So what will Jamie do until the final decision for the Olympic team?

> “It gives you a little fire. I think I said that in the interview back home, I just want to kind of shove it in their face,” Benn said. “It is what it is. I definitely want to be there. I’ll just have to prove myself the first half of the year.”

\-- [Dallas Stars Inside Edge](http://starsinsideedge.com/2013/08/26/jamie-benn-ready-to-go/)  
  
There is a reason fans photoshop [Jamie's face on the Hulk](https://twitter.com/DallasStars/status/382989150250889216).  
  
Yes I know.  
  
(gif made by bright-eyedchild)  
  
Totally the Hulk.  
  
Well, maybe a bit:  
  
  
So, the best way to show Canada's Olympic coaches what they shouldn't miss, is to play the best hockey he can and bring the Stars back out of their playoff drought.  
  
In the offseason, Jamie already tested out his soon-to-be new captain-y role... or maybe he is just that kind of a nice person: The moment Tyler was traded, Jamie, as well as other players, to be fair, made contact and welcomed Tyler. See the first press conference video [above](http://video.stars.nhl.com/videocenter/console?id=262435&catid=1392). Notice how the other players also "told [Tyler] where to live".  
  
If you like the mylittleblackhawk ponies, look at [this real-life drawing of how the welcoming happened](http://mylittleblackhawk.tumblr.com/post/59742663689/across-the-league-wednesday-a-day-late-again). Pure fact.  
  
Obviously, Tyler's time as the single young guy on the old and married team is now finally over. \o/  
  
Which is pretty good:

> One concern is that Seguin went wild in Boston even though the Bruins were a tight, professional group. But he broke in as an 18-year-old on a team full of older, married men. He was on his own away from the rink. After the trade, Chiarelli emphasized that Seguin was still only 21. Last week, Bergeron said: “I think maybe part of it was that he was a young guy. He didn’t know any better.”
> 
> In Dallas, Seguin will be around guys in his age group – most notably 24-year-old Jamie Benn, his new linemate – and surrounded by mentors.

\-- [Tyler Seguin's second chance](http://sports.yahoo.com/news/nhl--tyler-seguin-s-second-chance--young-star-gets-nhl-do-over-in-dallas-192338386.html) on Puck Daddy  
and now this:

> Yet Tyler Seguin entered the picture [in Dallas], among the Twitter accusations and fond send-off by Boston media, and a funny thing happened. Benn and Seguin, seemingly immediately, forged a partnership off the ice that predated a strong one on it in the preseason.
> 
> That's an important difference for Seguin, who has said repeatedly that all of his Boston teammates would go home to their wives, leaving him to seek his peer group - Young men who did not carry the burden of being a star NHL player around with them. They were young men with probably very little at stake, and Seguin couldn't help but be affected by that, even though the responsibility was ultimately his.
> 
> In Jamie Benn and Brenden Dillon[,] Seguin now has friends that carry with them that same responsibility. Benn has been named captain. You'd like to think that they can hold each other accountable to do the right things away from the rink. They're spectacular on it already.

\-- [Three Big Questions Facing the Dallas Stars](http://www.defendingbigd.com/2013/9/28/4780434/2013-2014-nhl-season-preview-three-big-questions-facing-the-dallas) on Defending Big D  
  
Perfect!  
  
  
Now hug!  
  
Tyler also (accidentally...?) moved into the same building as the Benn brothers - Jordie, Jamie's older brother, also plays for the Stars - and is over at Jamie's every night:

> "Very exciting," Benn said. "We're both going back to our natural positions. Chemistry is going to be a big part of our game on and off the ice. We're pretty much living together, we're in the same building and he's over every night."

\-- [NHL Preview: Dallas Stars](http://espn.go.com/nhl/preview2013/team/_/name/dal)  
  
aka

> “For day 1 playing together, it was nice,”' said Seguin. “Away from the rink, the Benn boys and me have been together pretty much 24/7, so the chemistry on the ice is just going to come.”

\-- [Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin line already impressing in first intrasquad scrimmage](http://www.dallasnews.com/sports/dallas-stars/headlines/20130915-heika-jamie-benn-tyler-seguin-line-already-impressing-in-first-intrasquad-scrimmage.ece) by Heika  
  
They, of course, drive to the rink together in Jamie's car.  
(Listen to the whole thing on the [Stars' podcast with Tyler](http://downloads.stars.nhl.com/podcasts/starspod2013_ep37.mp3).)

> Podcast host: _Right now you are sort of palling around. Jamie Benn has been your chauffeur for a few days. A lot of people looking forward to seeing you two on a line together. Do you feel like you have some kind of, at least personal chemistry right now?_
> 
> Tyler: Yeah, it has only been a couple of days, but you can definitely say that. He is probably the guy I sit with most so far. We are also living four floors apart and he has been driving me around every day. He is an incredible player and I look forward to playing with him.
> 
> PH: _You guys have any fights over what kind of music you listen to on the road?_
> 
> T: I haven't said anything yet, I don't agree with a lot of stuff though, but I'm looking to speak up as soon as the days come along here.
> 
> PH: _What is Jamie listening to on the way here?_
> 
> T: A lot of rock and stuff like that. I guess it goes with his long hair and bad beard, so I can understand it.
> 
> PH: _And if you had your way?_
> 
> T: Probably more hip hop and, you know, definitly [not just only country?].
> 
> PH: _How are you gonna approach the subject with him?_
> 
> T: I don't know yet. Probably going to buy him lunch right now and see if I can break it down to him, but he is with his brother as well, always, so it's kind of two against one right now.
> 
> PH: _That's how the Benn boys roll, you know, they get the two of them together and they sort of outnumber everybody and you have to give into their whims._
> 
> T: Pretty much. I've been in the backseat a lot lately, but hopefully with some games won, I can earn my way up to the front seat.

  
You do that, Tyler.  
  
There is also: 

> "[Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin] both have really big egos and sometimes they really bump heads. It's painful to listen to them bicker back and forth on the bench," Cole joked. "But other than that, they've been pretty good."

\-- [Benn, Seguin Developing Chemistry On and Off Ice](http://stars.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=685340&navid=DL%7CDAL%7Chome), which is in itself an article just about their chemistry and how they behave around each other: 

> But in what might be the surest sign of how close Seguin and Benn have become, theirs is a relationship complete with plenty of joking around, usually at the other's expense.
> 
> In fact, when Seguin was asked if there has been anything about Benn's game that has surprised him thus far, he replied that No. 14 was a bit faster than he had originally realized. Benn, however, took the question as an opportunity to land a little friendly jab on Seguin.
> 
> "He's a little skinnier than I thought. Not really," Benn said.

  
  
The Dallas Stars at least know what they have here: two young guys (Jamie's 24, Tyler only 21), both very good players, upon whom the Stars can and will try to built their potential future success. Last week, Jamie was named captain of the Stars. Watch the whole thing [here](http://video.stars.nhl.com/videocenter/console?id=445682&lang=en).  
  
And Jamie mentioned Tyler specifically in his speech:

> "I'm excited to be teammates with Tyler Seguin, who has obviously been to the Stanley Cup two [times] in the last three years. He knows what it takes as a young player to be there and play in big situations and I'm excited to play with him."

  
In short: Jamie is excited.  
  
There are, by now, tons of quotes like this, of them praising the other. In every single article written about the team, you will find either Jamie or Tyler gushing about the other. Just try it.  
  
(You can watch the video of only Jamie's first speech as captain here:  
["Em, first off, I'm very humbled and existed, em, about this opportunity. *breathes heavily*"](http://video.nhl.com/videocenter/console?id=445653)  
But prepare to die a bit inside listening to him. He really is awkward, especially in front of cameras, apparently, and even more when he has to read something off a paper. I watched many interviews with him, and this is seriously the worst I've ever seen him.)  
  
Interesting about this is, that there is some speculation on how the dynamic will play out and to have Jamie menion Tyler like this, and see the way the Stars treat him, everyone knows Jamie and Tyler will have to do this together. Have this giant quote:

> The Modano comparisons began almost the minute Seguin was traded to Dallas, and you can understand why. He's a good looking, young center who is known for his speed and dynamic offensive capabilities who was drafted No. 2 overall in 2010. He has all the makings to be the type of player this team was missing since Modano left the team.
> 
> Jamie Benn has long been touted as the next "face of the franchise" and likely the next team captain, with the Joe Nieuwendyk regime moving him into that top center position and asking the talented power forward to try and become a player he really wasn't meant to be. Benn was a good center and played that role admirably; in 2011-2012 he was one of the very best even strength forwards in all of hockey.
> 
> But Benn is not a center, and Jim Nill knew this -- his job is to find the best way to maximize the talent on his roster and Benn is best suited for the wing. While he's made great strides the past year or so, Benn is also not the most charismatic hockey player when the cameras and recording devices come on. Benn does his talking on the ice, and fans have been wanted to see him unleashed on the wing once more the past two years.
> 
> The addition of Seguin helps better balance the roster and it takes pressure away from Jamie Benn of being the lone "face" that the Dallas Stars have to market. Sure, it was Mike Modano that was on most of the posters back in the day but he wasn't alone -- if the Stars are going to rebuild this team on and off the ice, they'll need more than just one dynamic talent to work with.

of the really good article "Scouting Dallas Stars Center Tyler Seguin: The Franchise's Next Mike Modano?", [here on Defending Big D](http://www.defendingbigd.com/2013/7/15/4525034/scouting-dallas-stars-center-tyler-seguin-the-franchises-next-mike)  
  
So we have Jamie as captain, but getting the team back on the tracks will not only be a team effort, but especially a Jamie&Tyler one.  
  
Also, for fun, this is the [captain announcement](http://video.nhl.com/videocenter/console?id=445610) to the team. Notice Horcoff and his sock in the front row, Tyler well framed in the middle, and the future captain hiding ~somewhere in the back in a corner.  
  
  
(gif made by uptheboards)  
  
Overall we can say: The expectations for Jamie and Tyler are, to put it mildly, pretty high.  
  
  
Goal celebration for Jamie. Please more of this.  
  
Good thing they already impress each other so so much!  
  
Tyler about Jamie after one of the first practices:  
["I know he is a big body, but for instance I didn't know he was that quick on some of the plays..."](http://video.nhl.com/videocenter/console?id=444160)  
  
Jamie's response:

> Seguin gave you a nice little compliment saying he didn’t realize how fast you are, how quick you are with the puck -- [Link to the video](http://video.nhl.com/videocenter/console?id=445535)  
> 

  
  
(gif made by hossprey)  
  
To be fair, Tyler was already pretty prepared to play with Jamie... because he spent his offseason, well:

> Instead of tweeting, Seguin spent the summer logging on to NHL.com and studying video clips of Benn. He said he watched virtually every goal Benn scored the past four years – how he uses his size and speed, how quickly he gets from blue line to blue line, whether he shoots first or passes first.

\-- [Tyler Seguin's second chance](http://sports.yahoo.com/news/nhl--tyler-seguin-s-second-chance--young-star-gets-nhl-do-over-in-dallas-192338386.html) on Puck Daddy  
  
And the way the Stars are pushing them together, they know how to get this whole chemistry thing going. It's Tyler and Jamie together, who threw the first pitch at Wednesday's game of the Texas Rangers vs the Houston Astros.  
  
Have [a video](http://video.nhl.com/videocenter/console?id=448293) and a picture:  
  
  
And the Stars' twitter already promises us "quite the chemistry" -- on the ice, so far:  
This was posted on [the Stars twitter as a Vine](https://twitter.com/DallasStars/status/380341165671075841).  
  
Notice right the second reply:

> @DallasStars But do they have a bromance? Let us know when BenGuin is a thing, then we'll talk about chemistry.

\-- @hobbitntheadult  
  
Which leads us right to:  
  
 **Why should you ship this?**  
  
Obviously, pretty hockey players, err, I mean, the story. The whole narrative. There is the franchise, which rebuild itself to fight for a playoff spot, with an almost completely new roster -- it's even called "[New Star Rising](http://video.stars.nhl.com/videocenter/console?id=255698)"; there is the awkward and adorable new captain and face of the franchise, trying to pull them there purely by great leadership; there is the still only 21-year-old really pretty 2nd overall draft pick who fell from grace and now has the chance to prove the critics wrong. There are expectations and hurt feelings and chemistry building and the fans' hope for a bromance.  
  
  
(gifs made by fourthline)  
  
And the best thing: It's still early. The season starts next week and with no official preseason TV broadcast for the Stars, we will get our first real look beyond short Highlight reels only then. This is a story that is happening now. This is an actual hockey narrative in the making.  
  
And it's pretty clear that there is one thing to make this even better from a fannish perspective.  
  
  
(gif made by fourthline)  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Spoiler: The ship is sailing well. Also, Jamie makes it to the Olympics and scores in the first game. The Dallas Stars are clinging to the 8th playoff spot through the Olympic break. The chemistry between Jamie and Tyler? Through the roof. But is it enough to get the Stars actually into the playoffs? Stay tuned for the next couple of weeks!
> 
> The old thank you note, still relevant: A big thank you to: fourthline, jdornation, uptheboards, bright-eyedchild and hossprey for their permissions to use their gifs. Also thanks to the people in the tumblr tags, to my one friend for beta reading this and her encouragement, and sorry to my other friend for tricking her into helping me with something RPF-related. :(
> 
> Consider a standard blanket permission given for everything (except for reusing the gifs, which aren't mine). I'd be absolutely delighted if someone decided to do an updated/up-to-date primer; feel free to use the transcripts, etc.


End file.
